I did not want to go to school for some reason, so I told Mom I was not feeling well. She was not convinced I was sick, so at breakfast when she wasn’t looking, I had the terrific idea of dipping the thermometer into the hot chocolate to show her I had a high temperature – hey, I was just a little kid. Of course, the mercury quickly expanded, and the thermometer cracked. The thermometer and I were both busted! The “paddle” became a real possibility for me.